


Bridgeport

by Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness



Category: The Agency (TV 2001), The Evil Gene (2015)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Dick in Distress, M/M, Marathon heat sex, Rich/Rich ship, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Tags Are Hard, The Agency and the Evil Gene totally happen at the same time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:46:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23311105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness/pseuds/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness
Summary: Griff, an Alpha, is cured of the Evil Gene and finds Lex, an Omega, in a mental hospital.  They decide to escape together.
Relationships: Griff Krenshaw/Lex (The Agency TV 2001)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 9
Collections: Rich A/B/O 2020 Collection, Speight Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WarlockWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarlockWriter/gifts).



> Written for the 2020 Rich A/B/O fic. First chapter fills the Speight Bingo square, **'Dick in Distress.'**
> 
> New chapters will be posted every week or so.
> 
> Betaed by the amazing Mir567, who also organized this event! Thanks for being afraid of my run-on sentences, because they really do need some shortening...

The experimental gene therapy had worked; Griff knew delusion from reality once again. Unfortunately for Dana, that meant that he remembered who he was and what he could do. It was child’s play to steal a nurse’s key card and let himself out of his room the Friday evening of a long weekend. He’d exchanged his hospital gown for a set of scrubs he’d filched, and now blended in as he walked down the hallway. 

He’d considered killing Dana for what she’d done to him, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, by escaping, he’d remove all proof of her life’s work: proof that she’d undoubtedly need in order to be allowed to legally try gene therapy on patients with the Evil Gene like her daughter. That would, he hoped, be a worse fate than killing her. 

It was the middle of the night, so most of the lights were off and the other patients were sleeping. He paused, however, when he heard absolutely heart-wrenching sobs coming from one of the rooms. Was this another of Dana’s experiments? He hesitated, then grabbed the file on the door and looked it over. It had nothing to do with the Evil Gene; apparently, an Omega who worked for the CIA had suffered a work-related mental breakdown. 

Griff scanned the file. The Omega, codename ‘Lex,’ real name unknown, believed that he’d participated in a mission that had killed two of his teammates. However, it appeared that that was a lie he’d been told as a cover story for some operatives who were heading deep undercover. Griff growled; this was the same sort of shit that had ended his military career. The left hand didn’t know what the right was doing, and suffered for it. 

Well, he could fix this. Screw the government; they’d screwed him. He opened up the door to the room with his keycard to find an Omega staring at him with wide eyes. “They’re not dead, they’re undercover,” he said, after clearing his throat. “The assholes lied to you.” He tossed the file onto the bed next to the Omega. 

“What--why--who are you?” the Omega asked, hiccuping as he hesitantly reached for the file. 

“Someone else they lied to,” Griff replied with a shrug. After a moment, he stepped inside the room and closed the door, not wanting to draw any extra attention. Since he didn’t really have a need to keep his identity a secret, he added, “Name’s Griff.” 

“Oh my god.” The Omega was engrossed in the file. “They’re alive! They’re not--why would Jackson and Gage do this to me?” 

“Because the government sucks.” Griff’s nose twisted in distaste; the room was full of the smell of mildewed tea left _way_ too long in a mug. “Anyway, thought you should know.” He turned to leave. 

“Wait!” The Omega climbed out of bed on slightly unsteady feet. “Where are you going?” 

“Away,” Griff replied with a shrug. “Somewhere I never have to look at these walls ever again,” he added, gesturing to the institutionalized decor. 

“Take me with you,” the Omega pleaded. 

Griff felt his eyebrows raise. “Why would you want to go with me?” He hesitated, but then added, “I had the Evil Gene. I think it’s gone now; they did gene therapy on me, but I could be wrong.” 

Lex shook his head. “That’s a bunch of bullshit. No one believes in the ‘evil gene’ anymore. I mean, yes, it predicts a tendency toward psychosis, but only a tendency.” 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Griff pointed out. 

Lex ducked his head, clearly thinking. “Look, they’re...my entire life’s gone. My friends, my job; they’d never let me go back after all of this. They might let me out of here if I get better, but they might not. I know a lot of things, especially now that I’ve read this file. Maybe they’d send an agent to kill me. You--maybe you’re some kind of test or something, but I don’t think so. I think I can trust you. And you’re leaving. You might be my only opportunity to ever get out of this place alive.” He looked back up at Griff, pleadingly. “Please--just help me get out of here, wherever this is, and then I’ll leave and you’ll never hear from me again. I swear.” 

Griff barely hesitated; he wasn’t about to leave someone else in this hellhole. “All right,” he said. “Give me back the file so no one notices it’s missing, and then I’ll go find a wheelchair.” Since he didn’t have a second set of scrubs, he figured that that would be the easiest way to move Lex around, at least within the building. 

Lex fixed Griff with piercing golden eyes. “Promise me you’ll come back?” he asked hesitantly, before holding the folder out. 

“I promise. Unless I get caught myself,” Griff noted, taking the folder. 

“Don’t get caught,” Lex pleaded. 

“I’ll try.” Griff gave the Omega a brief smile, feeling his cheeks resist a movement he’d made all too little lately, and then left the room, carefully replacing the file. He moved as confidently as he could down the hallway until he found a wheelchair outside of another room. He briefly wondered if everyone in this facility deserved to be freed, but after glancing at the file on the patient inside the room the wheelchair was outside of, he winced. Apparently not everyone in here was like he and Lex. 

He wheeled the chair back to Lex’s room, nodding nonchalantly at a woman in scrubs who was walking down the corridor. “Evening,” she said, otherwise ignoring him. 

“Evening,” he replied. Clearly, no one had noticed his absence yet, though he didn’t expect anyone to until the morning. 

He used his keycard to open the door to Lex’s room, only to find the Omega ready to go. “Can we--can we take the file?” Lex whispered as he settled himself in the chair. The tea was smelling better, and Griff realized that it was Lex’s natural scent. 

Griff hesitated. “No, but,” he reached up to the file, pulled out the pages stating that Terri, Stiles, and Joshua were all still alive, and handed them to Lex before replacing the file. Lex smiled at him, then folded up the papers and tucked them away in his hospital gown. 

“Don’t suppose you have any idea where the locker rooms are?” he asked as he wheeled Lex out into the hallway. 

“Actually, I do. Second floor is where they have all the stuff for the workers,” Lex said. When Griff looked down at him, surprised, he shrugged. “They occasionally make me walk around for exercise. And it’s not as if they’ve had to worry about me escaping before this.” 

Griff couldn’t help but smile at him. “I guess we make a good team.”

Lex’s face fell a little at the mention of a team. “Yeah,” he agreed, though he didn’t sound as if he meant it. 

Griff chose not to respond. Instead, he wheeled Lex over to the elevator and, when it arrived and he’d gotten them both in, pushed the button that would take them to the second floor. 

There were only a couple of people on the second floor, and neither of them questioned Griff or Lex’s presence. The two men made their way into the locker room, where they quickly searched for clothes that would at least sort of fit them. Without speaking to one another, they also grabbed wallets, cash, and any food they found. Lex discovered an over-the-shoulder bag in one locker and put their ill-gotten gains into it. 

Griff was shocked at how easy it was after that to just walk out of the building. They’d stolen a set of keys with a fob, and walked down the parking lot, hitting the button every so often and listening for the car to beep at them. When one finally did, they hurried into it, Griff taking the driver’s seat. 

There was no security, so they simply drove out of the parking lot. Griff turned right onto the road, and drove. “Uh. Any idea where we are?” he asked. 

Lex was busy with a phone he’d stolen. “Hold on...we’re...on the outskirts of Hagerstown, Maryland. Turn left up ahead. I assume you want to lose the car in a parking lot?”

“Yeah,” Griff nodded. 

“Got a regional airport coming up in a few miles. We can leave the car there, go...well, wherever we want.” Griff noticed Lex looking over at him; now that he was confined in the car, and feeling better, he actually smelled like freshly brewed, spicy chai tea. It was making Griff crave coffee, if he was honest. “Um. D’you...want to split up? When we get there?”

Griff considered the question. An hour ago, he’d have said yes without compunction. Now, though… “If I were looking for the two of us… I think I’d expect us to split up. Maybe it’s best if we stay together. An Alpha and an Omega together will probably get fewer weird looks than either one alone.” 

Lex nodded, doing something with the back of the phone that Griff couldn’t quite understand, and looked relieved. “I don’t have any family,” he admitted. “Or, well, friends that aren’t deep undercover. So I don’t really care where we go.” 

Griff knew the feeling, all too well, and frowned at the tone of loss in the Omega’s voice. “I don’t have any family, either. So let’s lose ourselves in Hagerstown for a while, then maybe head for West Virginia. Plenty of places no one asks questions out there.” 

“Okay,” Lex agreed, and smiled briefly at Griff. “Sounds like a plan.” 

.oOOo.

After Lex did something at the airport with the phone and an ATM that resulted in them significantly improving their cash situation, they took a shuttle to a random hotel where they booked a room. Griff frowned when he walked in the room; there was only one bed. It meant they would be less noticeable, as the clerk obviously assumed they were together, but also that, well, _there was only one bed._

“I’ll take the floor,” he offered after Lex followed him into the room. Neither of them really had anything to put away; they’d have to go shopping before they had that problem. 

“Nah,” Lex replied, looking over at it and setting his bag down on a chair. He’d left the phone at the airport, even though he’d assured Griff that he’d made it impossible to trace. “We’re both adults; we can share. Dibs on the first shower, though.” 

Griff groaned at the mention of a shower, but gestured to the bathroom. “Go ahead.” It was a hotel; there was no way there would be less hot water when it was his turn. Lex disappeared into the bathroom, so Griff set what little he did have on the nightstand, claiming the right side of the bed. He laid down on top of the covers in an attempt to prevent himself from going straight to sleep--it had been a long night. 

There were ways they could be traced, he knew, but unless someone was _really_ interested in following them, what he and Lex had done would keep them from picking up the trail any time soon. Staying close to the institution would actually throw anyone trying to follow them further off than taking off in a random direction immediately, which was what everyone would expect them to do. So, it made sense to stay in town for a few days, as long as they didn’t draw too much attention to themselves and weren’t spotted by anyone who had worked at the facility who would recognize them. 

Griff nodded to himself. They’d stay here for a few days--they’d already booked the hotel room for a week, just in case--and then steal another car and head west. Assuming, of course, that Lex still wanted to stay with him at that point. 

.oOOo.

When Lex finally got out of the shower, wearing boxers he’d stolen from the hospital locker rooms, he found Griff sleeping on top of the covers on the right side of the large bed. Shrugging, he pulled back the covers on the left side and climbed in. This close, he could smell the Alpha’s shaving cream and coffee scent. It reminded him of mornings, but oddly enough settled him down rather than ramping him up, as one might expect. 

He fell asleep within minutes. 

Both were apparently too exhausted to dream, or, if they did, their nightmares didn’t wake the other. 

Lex woke up first, early the next afternoon. He took a few minutes to remember where he was and why he was there. The sight of Griff, sprawled out on the other side of the bed on top of the covers, helped to remind him. Reaching into the bag and pulling out the papers that said that Terri, in particular, was alive...that grounded him further.

He kept quiet as he used the facilities, though Griff’s natural coffee smell had him starting up the in-room coffee maker immediately afterwards, and it made noise. 

The Alpha woke up, staring over at him in confusion for a moment or two. “Oh,” he grunted. “Right.” With that, he climbed out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. 

Lex didn’t even consider leaving, although this would be an opportune moment. He liked Griff; at least, what he’d seen of him so far. He hadn’t lied, either; he had no place to go and no one he wanted to be with any more. He’d miss Terri, Stiles, and Joshua, but he wasn’t certain he could ever forgive them for lying to him--not about something as important as this. Plus, Griff was a natural leader, and Lex was a natural follower. 

He looked around the room until he found the folder describing room service, and he dialed the number. Although he didn’t know what Griff liked, he ordered a whole bunch of breakfast food for the two of them. He was starving, and figured that Griff was probably in the same condition. Besides, who said no to bacon and eggs? 

“Hey,” he said, when Griff wandered out of the bathroom a while later, fully dressed. Lex was still in his boxers. “I ordered food, hope you don’t mind.”

Griff grunted. “Are you kidding? Anything they bring has to be better than that crap they gave us in the hospital.” 

Lex blinked, and then smiled. “True! Hey, uh, so...what’s the plan? Or is there one?”

Griff turned serious eyes on him for a few moments. “We stay here a few days, then we steal a car and head west. We should go shopping first, though, get some clothes that fit and things. A couple of burner phones.” He ticked the list off on his fingers. “Just need to make sure no one from the facility spots us.” 

Lex nodded slowly; it was a good plan. “If we can get a halfway decent laptop somehow, I can probably create some cover IDs for us in the hotel business center. Nothing that would stand up to CIA scrutiny, but enough to pass muster if we get pulled over by the cops.” 

Griff nodded. “That would help a lot,” he agreed. “Then...I suppose we’ll have to find jobs somewhere where they don’t ask many questions.” 

“As long as they have decent wi-fi wherever it is,” Lex insisted, but he smiled. While he hated the feeling that he was replacing his old team, he had to admit something. “You’re right, we do make a good team. You remind me a lot of some agents I used to know.”

“Used to be FBI,” Griff admitted. “Probably went through some of the same training as they did.” 

Lex looked more closely at the Alpha, and could see it, even though his hair was much longer than regulation and he’d developed a bit of a paunch from the aforementioned hospital food. He realized that, while Griff knew a lot about him after studying his folder, he knew almost nothing about Griff. That should probably worry him, but for whatever reason, it didn’t. The man had told him the truth when no one else had. “Yeah, that’s probably it,” he agreed. 

Griff kept watching him. “You should probably know...when I had the Evil Gene, I was psychotic. I...did some things.” 

“Did you do them before?” Lex asked in a neutral tone. 

“What? No, of course not. I mean...I did shoot someone during a raid. But I swear to God I thought they were a drug trafficker when I took the shot.”

“Okay. So you didn’t purposefully hurt innocent people before you were psychotic. And you’re not psychotic any more.” Lex shrugged. “Honestly, I’m probably better off with you than I was with my old team.” 

Griff blew out a breath. “Well, now you know,” he said. There was a knock on the door, and he got up to answer it, checking the peephole first. He let in a couple of people from room service carrying delicious-smelling food. “Put it on the table,” he instructed them. 

“That smells amazing!” Lex enthused, completely missing the smirk one of the room service people gave Griff, likely directed at the fact that the Alpha was dressed but the Omega wasn’t. 

“Don’t bother waiting for me,” Griff said, as he presumably added a tip and signed the bill. 

Lex immediately pounced on the food as if he hadn’t eaten in days, drawing yet another smirk from the guy from room service. Lex spotted this one, but didn’t care. He was hungry, and the food smelled delicious. He started uncovering the dishes one by one and pulling things onto his personal plate. 

Soon, room service had left and Griff joined him. Lex pushed over a plate of ham and eggs he’d gotten specifically for Griff. The Alpha immediately tucked in, clearly as ravenous as Lex. “Thanks,” he said. “For ordering this.”

“No problem,” Lex smiled at him. “I figured you were probably as hungry as I was.” 

“Yeah,” Griff replied, before shoving more ham into his mouth. They ate the rest in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex and Griff find a place and settle down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Speight bingo square, **'Cooking.'**
> 
> No, I have no patience when it comes to posting chapters. But I am trying to move more toward a weekend weekly posting than a middle of the week weekly posting since that's when I'm usually going crazy with RL stuff (a nice problem to have, I know). So instead of waiting for next weekend, which is what I SHOULD do since this is the last chapter I have ready to go...here's chapter 2. Enjoy :).

Over the next few days, Lex got to know Griff better, and he was pleased at what he discovered. The no-nonsense former FBI agent admittedly had a limited sense of humor, but he always responded to Lex’s jokes with a smile, even when he didn’t find them funny. He turned out to be an excellent pickpocket, and quickly set Lex up with the laptop he’d wanted. Lex made them ID cards like he’d promised, and soon, through a combination of theft and Lex’s ATM tricks, they had everything they needed besides a car. 

Griff had told Lex he had decided to buy a used one so that they left less of a trail. Lex agreed, and was able to find a likely one online and came up with the cash and credentials to buy it. Griff was out purchasing it now, while Lex had gathered their meager belongings and was waiting for him in the hotel room. He had the familiar rush of adrenaline that always accompanied him when he set off on a new mission--and after all, what else was this, but a really long, really undercover mission? Okay. Maybe he was fooling himself a bit. But he had to _something_ to keep himself entertained. 

The sound of a hotel keycard being used came from the door, and Griff walked in. Somehow, Lex felt like he had already known it was him. “Got it?” he asked. 

“Yeah. Ready to check out?” Griff asked him. 

Lex handed Griff the heaviest of the bags they owned in response. “Whenever you are, sweetie.” He’d started calling Griff that after a saleswoman had said that they made a cute couple, and he’d just never stopped. 

Griff huffed, but smiled and hefted the bag, holding the door open for Lex. He appreciated the fact that the Alpha trusted him to have double-checked that they weren’t leaving anything behind. Grabbing his own bags, he made his way out into the hallway and down toward the elevator. 

Once they made it down to the lobby, he let Griff check out as he kept an eye on their surroundings. Neither of them had seen any sign that they’d been followed, identified, or anything else, but they both constantly kept watch, just in case. 

The concierge wished them a good day as they left, Lex turning to follow Griff toward where he’d parked their new (used) car. Lex had gone for nondescript, so it was a silver sedan that could have been any of a dozen makes. It had an old Obama bumper sticker on it, which they left alone without discussing. 

Lex climbed in the passenger seat, and immediately set up a phone to help Griff navigate. He then buckled his seat belt and waited for Griff to climb in after him and start the car. Griff put on a soft rock station and left the volume down as they drove out of town. Once they were far enough out, Griff turned the volume down further. “Have you decided on our cover story?”

They knew they were headed for a largeish town in West Virginia called Bridgeport and planned to get set up in an apartment and then apply for jobs--Lex in IT, most likely, while Griff would look for something in security. That much was easy. What wasn’t as easy was deciding where they had been before and who they were to one another. 

Lex blew out a breath. “We’re from Washington, D.C. After the latest terrorist scare, we decided to move to what we consider ‘the country’ so we can raise our pups without fear of them being blown to smithereens.” 

“So we’re a couple.” Griff said it neutrally, and Lex didn’t know how he felt about that. He’d been starting to be attracted to the Alpha--not that he was spoiling for choice--but he hadn’t seen any sign that the Alpha returned the feeling. 

“It’s the easiest story. We can always pretend to have a massive fight if we decide to go our separate ways,” Lex replied with a shrug. 

“True. Names?”

“Griffin Jones and Lee Smith. Friends call you Griff and me Lex.” 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Griff asked. 

“I told you, I found those files on you. You officially weren’t in that medical facility, and we have other ways of treating the Evil Gene, so no one except that bitch Dana cares where you are. No one’s looking for you. Me...I don’t know. But your files said you’d be on your own, so they definitely won’t be looking for the two of us together.” 

“Unless they planted those files there for you to find,” Griff pointed out. 

“Hey, give me some credit! I’m better than that. They were legit, and no one knows I was in there looking, either,” Lex huffed, crossing his arms. 

Griff’s nose wrinkled. “Fine, fine. But eventually, if they _are_ looking for you, they’re going to think of looking for me. And Griffin Jones is not really that different from my real name.” 

“Yes it is. Jones starts with a totally different letter than Krenshaw,” Lex replied. “Besides. There are so many Joneses and Smiths that there’s no way in hell anyone’s going to put that together except us. And I kind of like calling you Griff.” 

Griff turned on the cruise control and looked over at Lex. “I’d prefer calling you Lee. Much less memorable.” 

“Nope,” Lex replied, popping the ‘p.’ “Lex is my name, and I’m sticking to it.” 

Griff shrugged. “It’s your ass on the line, if they find you.” 

“Oh, believe me, the CIA wouldn’t hesitate to kill you if they found me and decided they want me back. Or keep you alive to make me--well. Neither of us would ever see the light of day again.” Lex realized that he almost sounded happy, but it was mostly due to adrenaline and partly because he was certain that no one would come looking for a lost, broken Omega like him. Yes, he knew things, but he was also loyal to the government--the entire Olivia episode had proven that. Hopefully that would make him a low-value target.

“Reassuring,” Griff snorted. 

“That’s me,” Lex said happily, before leaning forward and turning off the soft rock station. He fiddled with the phone, which began to play...well, an eclectic variety of things. Lex was pretty sure that if anyone ever hacked his playlist, they’d be certain he was insane. But Spotify was better than listening to commercials and DJs. “You sure three hours is far enough away? Shouldn’t we be going to, I don’t know, Colorado?”

“First, I trust this car a lot more for three hours than I do three days,” Griff told him. “Second, they’ll expect that we went far away. It’s not as likely that they’ll look so close to the facility. Bridgeport is large enough to get lost in, but not as large as they’ll be expecting.”

“Plus, if they do get wind of the name Bridgeport, there are like a thousand of those all across the US,” Lex pointed out, Griff nodding along with him. “They’d probably look in Connecticut first.” 

“Exactly,” Griff agreed. Lex kind of appreciated that he was a man of few words; he didn’t mind doing most of the talking himself, and Griff didn’t seem to mind that he was chatty. 

“Soooo. What do you usually do on long car trips?” Lex asked, hoping the answer wasn’t going to be ‘stay silent.’ 

“Think. Enjoy the scenery,” Griff replied, though he was quick to add, “But I don’t mind talking. That’s just when I’m alone.” 

“You’ve been alone for a while, haven’t you?” Lex may not have been a behavioral profiler, but it really didn’t take one in this case. 

Griff sighed. “I was in the army. While I was deployed, my brother killed my family and himself.” Lex winced; no wonder Griff wasn’t very talkative. “Then...after that I figured I needed to sort out my own shit before I put that kind of baggage on anyone else. And the anti-psychotics kind of killed my sex drive. How about you?”

“Nothing quite like that,” Lex replied, then mentally smacked himself on the forehead for the inane comment. Very, very few people would have been through something like that. “I explored in college, then ended up in the CIA. Turns out I have...really shitty taste in Alphas. My girlfriend accused me of rape in order to blackmail me for state secrets.” 

It was Griff’s turn to wince. “I’m sorry,” he replied, sounding sincere. 

“It’s okay,” Lex replied with a shrug. “I got over it. At least, I thought I had, before...well, all that happened with Terri and Stiles.” 

Griff shook his head. “Not sure you ever get over something like that.”

“Maybe not,” Lex agreed. “So, uh, what kind of music do you like?” _Smooth, Lex,_ he added in his head. But, note to self--no talking about families, which was fine with him anyway. 

The rest of the trip passed quickly as they chatted idly. 

.oOOo.

They found a two-bedroom apartment easily enough; jobs were a bit harder to come by, as neither man could produce any references besides each other. Griff was hired first, since practically every warehouse in the town needed a security guard and it only took the interviewers a few minutes to determine that, while he might not have references, he was still overqualified for such a position. 

It took longer for Lex to be hired, which proved to be a blow to his pride, but eventually he settled down as an IT specialist in one of the larger firms in town. Most of his work was done after regular business hours, so they both effectively ended up on the night shift. Neither of them cared.

Griff was surprised one night to realize that they were about a month into cohabitation, and aside from minor issues, they hadn’t had any significant problems. He’d always been a bit of a loner, yet he truly enjoyed having Lex around. The Omega complimented him in ways he didn’t fully understand. It wasn’t in the way that Omegas usually did, either--Griff was actually the better cook of the two; they’d survive entirely on takeout if Lex had his way. 

The company was...nice. It had been years since Griff had had a close friend, since before the incident with his family. After that, he’d been careful not to get too close to anyone. But now...he liked Lex. Lex was smart as a whip, yet completely dumb about some of the simplest things (he was NOT allowed to wash pots and pans anymore). He could take a computer apart and put it back together quicker than Griff could field-strip a weapon, but he had no idea how to pay a water bill if the city didn’t have an online site. 

Lex was starting to get on Griff’s nerves at the moment, however. Griff had roasted a chicken and cooked fresh green beans and mashed potatoes for their ‘dinner,’ anticipating that they’d have plenty left over for lunches for the two of them for the next couple of days. Lex appeared to have other ideas; he had eaten second helpings of everything and was helping himself to thirds. Griff had never seen him eat so much in a single sitting before, and it wasn’t like the chicken was even that good. “You all right?” he asked finally, hearing the edge in his own voice. 

“Huh? Yeah,” Lex replied, clearly without actually thinking about it. He scooped the last of the mashed potatoes out of the bowl. “Hey, would you mind getting me some milk?”

“More?” It was his third glass, and Griff was slightly shocked. “Are you _sure_ you’re all right?” Still, he got up and headed to the fridge to retrieve the milk. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I--” Lex’s eyes widened, as he stared at the food he’d just loaded on his plate. He said nothing for at least a full minute, and then leaned back in his chair, sighing. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Griff brought the milk over and refilled Lex’s glass, setting the container down next to it. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I got heat suppressants at the hospital,” Lex rubbed his hand over his face. “I got some as soon as we went shopping, but, if they were interrupted at the wrong time…” He looked up at Griff, eyes wide. “I think I may go into heat soon.” 

Griff honestly hadn’t even thought of that; Dana had given him plenty of rut suppressants, not wanting him to become even more dangerous than he already was, and he’d bought more as soon as they’d gone out. Without consciously thinking about it, he flared his nostrils, inhaling deeply. Sure enough, Lex’s regular chai tea scent had become deeper, richer. He wasn’t about to go into heat in the next five minutes, but he probably would in the next twenty four hours. 

Griff stared at Lex. “...Okay. You’re right. Make a list of what you need, and I’ll go to the store and get it right now. Then I’ll...stay at a hotel for a few days, I guess.” 

“No!” Lex was quick to protest. “I mean. We’re going to have to tell the people we know I’m in heat. It wouldn’t make sense for you to leave me alone if we’re together.”

“Yeah, but...you’re going to be _in heat_ ,” Griff reminded him. “I’m not sure I could control myself if we were in the same house.” 

Lex made a face at him. “You are so old-fashioned sometimes. You wouldn’t have to control yourself if you were helping me through it like a normal Alpha friend would.” 

Griff blinked. His Alpha side had been largely dormant, but now it pricked up its ears and stretched lazily, interested in the conversation. “Help...you? Help you how?”

Lex rolled his eyes. “You knot me. With a condom on,” he specified. “All you have to do is keep from claiming me, which, since you won’t be in rut, shouldn’t be that hard.” He frowned. “Have you really never helped a friend through a heat before?”

Griff shook his head. Maybe he was old-fashioned! Sure, he’d had sex, even with Omegas, but never when there wasn’t at least an emotional connection. Well, excepting Dana, which he really didn’t want to think about right now. 

“It’s easy,” Lex promised. “I’m not too bad when I have a real knot. You’ll just have to keep reminding me to drink; otherwise I forget and get dehydrated. I don’t usually eat much at all.” He waved at the forgotten potatoes. “I eat before, as you can tell.” 

Griff swallowed hard. “Are you--are you sure it’s not your heat talking?” he asked. 

Lex rolled his eyes again and grabbed Griff’s hand, pulling it toward him until it was settled against his forehead. “No fever,” he pointed out. “I’m not in heat yet. 100% in my right mind. Still able to sign legal documents, if it came to it.” He blinked up at Griff as the Alpha dropped his hand away from the Omega’s forehead. “You, uh. You do like sex, right? I mean, it’s fine if you don’t, there are services and things…”

“I do,” Griff kicked himself mentally for replying so quickly. “I...like you, I had a bad experience, and it’s been a while, but...yeah.” He felt his cheeks heat up, and mentally kicked himself some more. “I guess I just don’t want to accidentally ruin our friendship.” 

“Well, then, that’s settled,” Lex said, grinning up at him. “You’re more likely to ruin the friendship if you leave me alone with a fake knot and cramps for a week than if you take care of me.” He stood up--for a second he was closer to Griff than Griff felt entirely comfortable with--and then moved over to the pad of paper they kept on a table and began to write on it. “I’ll make a list for you. I probably shouldn’t go out any more. I should call work, too.”

“Yeah,” Griff agreed. “I’ll have to call in, too. They won’t pay me, but it doesn’t matter, we have plenty.” Lex had made sure of that; Griff hadn’t asked too many questions about how. 

Lex tore off the sheet of paper and walked back over to Griff. “Here,” he said, before seating himself back at the table and blinking. “Uhhh...were you going to finish that chicken?” he asked. 

Griff couldn’t help but laugh, partly at the absurdity of it all. “Help yourself. I’m done. I’ll go to the store and be back in a couple of hours.”

Lex nodded, already halfway finished with his third glass of milk. Griff was glad he had left the container on the table, and mentally added milk to the list of items Lex wanted him to get. Shaking his head, he left the apartment and headed for their car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex goes into heat. Really, do you need to know more than that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fills the **'A/B/O'** square for Speight Bingo 2020! Which is still actually going on as I write!

Lex waited until Griff had left to push his plate aside and bring his head thunking down onto the table a few times. What had he just done? He might not be in heat yet, but that had _definitely_ been his hormones and his overactive mouth talking. Now Griff was going to think he was a massive slut or something. He headdesked a few more times before disconsolately pulling the plate of mashed potatoes closer--no sense in wasting them, he thought, as he spooned starchy goodness into his mouth. Which meant Griff would think he was a pig, AND a slut, AND an imbecile who couldn’t be trusted to take medication. 

His thoughts didn’t stop him from polishing off the mashed potatoes. Or the chicken. Or the milk, for that matter. “I should’ve told him to get more,” he muttered to himself as he eyed the empty container. 

Though he was starting to feel uncomfortably over-full, he forced himself to stand up, toss the milk container into the trash, and clean up the dishes. Griff was every bit a military man, and that meant he liked things spotless. Lex, on the other hand, was fine with a bit of clutter. Okay, a lot of clutter. Regardless, he made sure to put extra effort into their shared spaces so he wouldn’t annoy the Alpha. He compensated by allowing entropy to win the battle for his room. Seriously, they’d only been here for a few weeks, but there was probably something nesting in there already.

Once the kitchen was clean, Lex threw himself down on the couch and used the remote to turn on the TV. He found some old Trek reruns, and was soon laughing at Data’s antics and Riker’s beard even as he rolled his eyes at Counselor Troi’s outfits. He wrapped himself up in the blanket they’d thrown over the back of the couch, and found himself inhaling deeply--it smelled of Griff. 

Had he ruined things with the Alpha? He hoped not. He liked Griff...and he had to admit, the fact that Griff was about as different as you could be from Olivia helped a lot. Still, he wanted to see if there was any real chemistry between him and the Alpha. Asking Griff to help him with his heat, admittedly, may not have been the _best_ way to find that out, but it was certainly _a_ way. 

In the end, Lex decided to put it out of his mind for the moment. What would happen would happen, and there wasn’t much he could do about it at this point. 

.oOOo.

Griff found Lex on the couch, rolled up in a blanket and still watching Trek reruns, when he got home. He’d had a bit of time to think, and the more he’d thought about it, the more he’d managed to frame the entire thing as helping Lex. After all, didn’t Omegas have really painful heats when they didn’t have an Alpha? Why make him go through all of that, when Griff was right here? Still, he’d bought a fake knot, just in case Lex had changed his mind.

He smiled to himself when he saw that Lex had cleaned up after dinner; it was thoughtful, especially in the condition he was in. Griff put the first set of bags down on the counter, then went back out to the car to get the rest. 

When he returned, Lex was still wrapped in the blanket, but was vertical and sorting through the bags. “Yes! Double Stuffed Oreos!” He obviously hadn’t intended Griff to hear the exclamation, but when he realized he had, he smiled at him. “Thank you! This is all perfect!” Then his face fell a little. “Uh...about what I said earlier, if you decide you don’t want to help...I mean, that’s okay. I don’t want to pressure you into anything.” 

Griff shook his head. “It’s...really painful without an Alpha, right?” he asked. 

Lex shrugged. “It can be. Some Omegas are fine with a fake knot, some aren’t. I’m...kind of in the middle, it’s not nearly as bad as long as I have toys, but I still prefer the real thing. As long as you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t.” Griff tried to inject some confidence into his voice, although he really didn’t feel it. “But...I’ve never done this, so, uh, could you...maybe...uh...tell me? What’s okay to do and what’s not okay?” 

Lex shot him a sympathetic look. “As long as you have a condom on and don’t claim me, I really doubt you could come up with anything that’s on my hard limit list.” He grimaced slightly, then added, “Sorry. Kissing, touching...as long as it’s not anything that could get me pregnant, it’s fine. Does that tell you what you need to know?” 

Griff nodded slowly. “All right. If you change your mind, I did get a toy. And, of course, just tell me to stop if I’m doing anything you don’t like and I will.” 

Lex laughed. “That word doesn’t really exist when you’re in heat. But I appreciate the sentiment.” 

Griff tried to think of something to say to that, and couldn’t come up with anything, so he changed the topic. “I’m going to call work. Have you called in?”

“Oh, not yet, thanks,” Lex said, rearranging the blanket in order to pull his phone out of his back pocket. Griff did the same, although much less smoothly, and left a message for his boss explaining the situation. Thankfully, unexpected ruts and heats were common enough that there was a law you couldn’t fire anyone over them, so he wasn’t too worried about his job. 

He ended the call and began to help Lex put away the groceries--ice cream, cookies, chocolate, more cookies. Griff had to admit he wasn’t that much better when he went into rut, although he craved protein instead of carbs. 

When they were finished, Lex yawned. “I’m beat. Gonna go to bed and get some sleep while I still can.” He smiled at Griff. “See you tomorrow!” 

“See you tomorrow,” Griff agreed, watching Lex disappear into his room. He sat down on the couch and stared at the TV, but didn’t actually see anything. He probably should’ve been looking forward to tomorrow, but in reality all he could think about was how awkward he was going to be. 

.oOOo.

Lex groaned as he woke up, feeling a variety of aches and pains all over his body. Fucking heat. It wasn’t in full swing yet, but he was already uncomfortable. He glanced at the clock, noting that it wasn’t too early (for them): Griff would likely be awake already. “Thank god,” he muttered, levering himself out of bed. He put on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers and used the bathroom before making his way to the living room. 

Sure enough, Griff was awake and on the couch. His nostrils flared as Lex approached, while Lex also took a wonderful, deep breath full of dark roasted coffee and shaving cream--Alpha scent. Griff’s eyes widened. “Lex?” he asked. 

Lex felt himself slide more firmly into heat. “Alpha,” he found himself saying. “I need you.” 

Griff looked a bit panicked. Okay, a lot panicked. “Um...okay. Okay.” he stood up. “Uh. My room or yours? And...are you still sure about this? Oh! I should get some juice first, you said you get dehydrated...”

Lex growled. His Alpha was stuck in his head, and that’s not where Lex wanted him to be. Thankfully, instinct kicked in and supplied him with a solution. 

He turned and ran. He made short work of the locks on the door and flew out into the courtyard of the apartment complex. There was a yelp of surprise behind him; Lex just ran faster. 

A short time later, Lex heard someone running behind him. His rational mind hoped it was Griff. His heat didn’t really care, as long as it was an Alpha. Bonus points if they were well-hung. 

Griff--it was Griff; Lex could smell him now--caught up to him in barely any time at all. Griff exercised; Lex didn’t. The Alpha grabbed him around his waist, pulling him to a complete stop almost effortlessly. “Come,” the Alpha growled, and Lex allowed him to grab him by the upper arms and turn them around, his back to Griff’s front. Griff started pushing him back toward the door of their apartment, which was hanging open. Lex intended to cooperate, he really did, but his body had gone a bit limp and eventually Griff had to physically pull him into the apartment. Which was really hot. Not that that’s why he made Griff do it or anything. 

Griff closed the door behind them and force-marched Lex to his bedroom, grabbing the bag with the condoms on the way. Lex was still himself enough to be glad that he hadn’t short-circuited _every_ last one of Griff’s brain cells. 

Griff shoved him into his bedroom--nothing was out of place, and Lex couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the orderliness--and toward the bed. Lex had other ideas, though. He turned around, seeking out Griff’s lips, which were soon pressed to his. If he’d been worried about chemistry, he wasn’t now--there were definitely fireworks as they kissed, and wandering hands, and to his surprise, Griff’s mating fangs were already partially descended. The kiss quickly turned filthy, just the way Lex liked it. 

Griff pushed him onto the bed, face-up, and made short work of Lex’s boxers and sweatpants. Lex rolled over and crawled to the center of the bed, instincts in full gear making him whine and present himself on his hands and knees. As his last few coherent thoughts started to dissipate, he momentarily hoped that Griff would remember the condom. 

Thankfully, when he _finally_ felt his Alpha’s cock pressing at his hole, after interminable minutes during which Griff presumably disrobed and climbed onto the bed behind him, it was encased in silicone. But, oh. It was also _large_. Lex had always been a bit of a size queen, but this? He’d died and gone to heaven. Griff pushed in steadily, and growled as he paused to let Lex adjust to him. Lex actually needed those moments to breathe deeply, but enjoyed them nevertheless. He could already feel some of the aches and pains of his heat retreating, and he wanted more. “Move, please, Alpha!”

Griff’s growl turned happy, and he began slow thrusts which had Lex writhing almost immediately at the feeling of his cock dragging along his inner walls. “Good ‘mega,” he heard Griff say, as he leaned over and started kissing along Lex’s spine. “Mmmm.” 

“Faster, please!” Lex knew he was going to regret that request in the morning, as large as Griff was, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He almost came when Griff ran his fingernails along his flank before reaching around to take his cock in hand. 

It was one nice thing about being with another male: Griff knew exactly how much pressure to use and _just_ how to twist on the upstroke. “Oh god, yes, yes, yes!” Lex cried. He could feel himself building to his climax, and along with all the happy hormones his heat was soaking his brain in, he was in seventh heaven. 

Griff picked up the pace, grunting as he thrust. “So good,” he said brokenly. Lex had lost the capacity to form complete syllables, or he would have agreed wholeheartedly. Instead, he felt himself seize up and come all over Griff’s hand and the comforter. Whoops. So much for the Alpha’s spotless bedroom. 

He felt the condom fill not long after that, and then Griff rolled them onto their sides, wiped his hand on the comforter, and then held him close as they panted. 

Lex’s heat, surprisingly, hadn’t been fully sated by the encounter. “Claim me, Alpha, please,” he begged, still writhing in Griff’s hold. 

Griff kissed, but didn’t bite, his scent gland. “Not yet, ‘mega,” he said. “Not yet. You’re in heat, remember?”

Lex supposed he’d have to accept the answer, but he still let out a long, pathetic whine as he forced himself to relax. 

“None of that.” Griff kissed his scent gland again. “We can talk about it in a few days, once your heat’s done. Sleep while my knot goes down, and then I’ll get you something to drink.” 

Lex huffed. “Fine.” He knew he sounded petulant, but at the moment, he didn’t care. He just let himself drift off in his Alpha’s--in Griff’s--arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They make it through Lex's heat, and then Griff takes him on a proper date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay. Next week's will be delayed as well, so don't expect anything for a couple of weeks :). Sorry, you'd think with coronavirus I'd have less work to do, but you'd be wrong...

When Lex woke, he took a deep breath and then purred; the bed smelled like his Alpha. Wait. Griff wasn’t his Alpha yet. Right. That would change if he had anything to say about it. He yawned and stretched, only to discover that Griff wasn’t in the room any longer. What was wrong? Had Griff not enjoyed himself? Had he left Lex alone with a toy, deciding not to help him? 

Lex practically jumped out of the bed and hurried over to the door, too concerned to worry about such things as modesty. After opening it, he began searching the small apartment--Griff wasn’t in the bathroom, or in his room. He opened the door to the linen closet for reasons known only to his heat. No Griff. 

He barreled out into the dining room, only to find that Griff was in the kitchen, pouring a glass of milk. He immediately felt foolish. And naked. Unfortunately for him, Griff’s head came up, and he stared at Lex for a moment. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Did another wave of your heat hit?”

Lex briefly considered lying and saying yes, and then decided against it. “No,” he said, shaking his head and blushing. “You weren’t there, and I was--” What had he been, exactly? Lex shrugged, deciding not to finish the sentence. 

Griff picked up the milk and came around the breakfast bar--of course, _he_ was wearing boxers. He handed it to Lex. “Do you want anything else?” he asked. 

“No,” Lex replied, shaking his head. “I’ll just, uh.” He turned and practically ran back to Griff’s room, blushing furiously. 

.oOOo.

Griff watched him go, shaking his head slightly. He knew he’d chosen wrong when he’d decided to put on the boxers--he should have realized that Lex would want to be more comfortable than that, and it wasn’t as if they wouldn’t see each other naked plenty over the next few days. 

He let out a sigh, then turned and made his way to the stove when the teakettle whistled. He knew it was no coincidence that he was craving tea--specifically chai--instead of coffee, but he tried not to think about it as he made himself a mugfull with plenty of milk and sugar. 

Before going back to his room, Griff poured a second glass of milk and grabbed a package of cookies, setting them both on a tray they usually used for eating in front of the television. After a moment, he set his mug on it, too, and then carried it back to his room. 

Lex had already polished off the milk he’d been given and had climbed back into bed, using a sheet to preserve his modesty. He looked embarrassed for some reason Griff couldn’t fathom, as he set the tray on a table. “I brought you more milk,” he said, relocating it to the nightstand closest to Lex. “And cookies, if you want them.” 

“I’m not hungry, but thanks,” Lex replied, reaching for the new glass of milk and taking a sip. He was silent, while Griff used the opportunity to pick up his tea, since he realized he wasn’t sure where he should sit, even though they were in his room. 

He noticed Lex frowning slightly when he chose the desk chair instead of the bed. Oh, well. What was one more misstep? Griff wished he’d done this with another friend before, so he knew what was normal and what wasn’t. He desperately wanted to be what Lex needed during this time--now, more than ever, he wanted a relationship with this Omega, no matter how different they were. But he was ruining everything. Typical. 

.oOOo.

Lex couldn’t figure out why Griff was being so stand-offish. Was it possible that he was the only one who felt the connection he thought they shared? Was he just some poor, deluded Omega who desperately needed an Alpha to take care of him? Was he just plain terrible in bed? Olivia hadn’t seemed to think so, but--well, she’d been paid to be with him, so of course she wouldn’t say so, even if she thought he did suck. 

Crap. He could feel the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Stupid, stupid hormones. Why did he always have to cry during his heat, like some Omega in distress in a movie? 

“Uh. Are you--” Griff started, but before he could even finish the sentence, Lex had burst into ugly tears. He promptly buried his face in his hands, trying to stifle them. 

.oOOo.

“--all right?” _Shit._ He’d really done it now. Lex was crying, and Griff had exactly no idea why. He’d never been any good at this sort of thing, and now he’d somehow screwed up everything. 

He set his tea down, then hurried over to the bed. Lex’s scent had turned mildewy again, and Griff made a face as he approached. “What’s wrong? What did I do?” he asked, sitting on the bed next to the Omega and reaching out a tentative hand, setting it on Lex’s shoulder when he didn’t flinch away. 

Lex seemed to try to respond, but he couldn’t get any words out past his sobs and ended up shaking his head. Griff wondered what he should do, but before he could decide, Lex climbed into his lap and he instinctively put his arms around the Omega. Lex snuggled into him, but continued to cry. “Shh,” Griff told him. “Shh, it’s all right. You’re all right, Lex.” 

Lex showed no signs of stopping after Griff had comforted him for thirty seconds or so, so the Alpha just held him close and stared over his head at the wall. “I’m sorry,” he said eventually, rubbing the other man’s back. “I’ve never done this before, and I must be doing everything wrong. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He sighed; somehow it was easier to confess everything while not looking at the Omega in his arms. “I like you a lot and I just don’t want to go too far or make you uncomfortable or anything.” 

Lex’s sobs eased. “You--you like me, Alpha?” he asked brokenly. 

Griff frowned at the wall, then looked down. “Of course I do. You’re smart, attractive, independent… What Alpha wouldn’t like you?”

Lex’s face fell, although his tears had mostly dried up, leaving his face and eyes reddened. “As a friend, you mean.” He hung his head after. 

It was Griff’s turn to go red. “I-- Um--” He mentally kicked himself and forced out, “No. It’s more than that. But...sometimes I have to go slow. Wait. Is this because I wouldn’t give you a mating bite?” Blinking, he looked down at Lex. 

“Kinda,” Lex murmured into his chest. 

Griff sighed. “Lex, I’d be proud to be your Alpha. But mating you while you’re in heat is wrong. If you still feel the same way after it’s all over, _then_ we can talk about it...though I’d still like to at least take you out on a proper date once or twice.” 

Lex raised his tear-stained face. “A date?” he asked hopefully, his scent stabilizing. 

Griff chuckled at the look of hope on the Omega’s face. “A date,” he agreed, reaching for a tissue to hand to Lex before leaning down and giving him a soft kiss. 

“‘M sorry,” Lex mumbled before blowing his nose. 

“It’s all right,” Griff soothed, running his hand through Lex’s hair. “Let’s just get you through the next few days, and then we can talk as much as you want.” 

“Okay,” Lex agreed. Griff winced when he threw the tissue in the direction of the waste basket, but didn’t quite make it. “Uh...Alpha?” He squirmed a bit in Griff’s lap, which a certain bit of Griff’s anatomy liked quite a lot. 

“Yes, Omega?” Griff’s voice had turned husky of its own accord. 

“...I think I need you again,” Lex admitted. 

“I’m right here, Omega.” Griff kissed Lex deeply, then gently laid him back on the bed, determined to take him apart slowly this time. 

And, well, if he didn’t _quite_ manage slow and sweet--he had a ready-made excuse, as Lex was in heat!

.oOOo.

Somehow, they made it through the next few days. In the, ahem, heat of the moment, Lex frequently begged for a mating bite, but Griff managed (just barely, in some cases) not to oblige him. He was fairly certain that Lex wouldn’t be nearly as sure about their relationship once his hormones were no longer doing the thinking for him. 

Finally, nearly a week later, it was all over, and Lex was helping Griff clean up his room. They hadn’t really spoken since his heat broke, but he felt that the silence was comfortable--certainly more comfortable than it had been on that first awful day. 

His mind hadn’t changed. He’d met other Alphas before and at his current job, so it wasn’t as if he’d just fallen for the first one who was nice to him. He really, really liked Griff. Sure, the guy had a few control issues--he’d spotted the wince when his tissue hadn’t made it into the bin, among other things--but he didn’t take them out on Lex. And it wasn’t as if Lex didn’t have his own issues; they just had nothing to do with being a neat freak. 

Once Griff’s room was spotless, Griff patted him on the shoulder. “Go watch TV,” he suggested, as they’d already showered and dressed. “I’ll make us something to eat. You’re hungry again, right?” Lex hadn’t eaten much during his heat. 

“Starving,” Lex confirmed, setting a hand on his stomach. 

“I’ll make us a big breakfast, then,” Griff said. 

“Mate me,” Lex groaned. He opened his eyes, only to see Griff stiffen and look vaguely uncomfortable again. So, he rolled his eyes. “I’m joking! But don’t think I’ve forgotten about that. You promised me a date first, though.” 

He watched Griff relax, and couldn’t help but chuckle as Griff nodded. “I made reservations,” the Alpha said, looking slightly embarrassed. “For this Friday; I figured you’d be feeling better by then.” 

Lex’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “Excellent! Breakfast first, though, Alpha, please.” 

Griff snorted at him as they made their way to the living room. “Yeah, yeah. Coming right up. Then I’ll have to go shopping; we’re out of a lot of stuff.” 

“Whatever you say, Alpha.” Lex plopped himself down on the couch and grabbed the remote, flicking through channels. 

.oOOo.

Griff was glad, when Friday rolled around, that he’d insisted on a proper date; it made him feel more normal than he had in--well, forever. He was shocked, however, to find he had a few butterflies in his stomach as he was straightening his tie. Normally he had more self-confidence. He tended to not care when someone didn’t like him, because, as ‘they’ always said, there were plenty more fish in the sea. 

He cared enough about Lex, however, for this date to feel as if it were high-stakes. Griff dabbed on some cologne (it smelled a little of sweet cream; he’d been told it went very well with his coffee scent) and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked good; the maroon tie went with the dark-brown suit and somehow made his eyes pop. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but he’d been assured at the store when he bought it that it did. 

Griff allowed himself one deep breath, and then made his way out to the living room to wait--or, no, Lex was already there, looking amazing in a blue button-down shirt and khakis. Weren’t Omegas supposed to take more time in the bathroom than Alphas? Oh, well. “Hi,” he said, a little shyly. “You look really nice.” 

“So do you,” Lex smiled at him, easing some of his tension. “I like the tie. So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Griff shook his head. “It’s a surprise,” he insisted, holding out his hand. Lex took it, and Griff walked him out the door and to their car--they’d already bought a new one and ditched the used one they’d bought. Griff held the door as Lex climbed into the passenger seat, and then he got into the driver’s side. 

Lex was already playing his music, which Griff had grown used to over time. It wasn’t exactly all to his taste (he tended to prefer country), but it wasn’t awful, either. “So where are we--oh, right, surprise,” Lex said as he got into the car, used to doing the navigating. “Don’t get us lost, Alpha.” 

Griff laughed. “I won’t,” he promised. “I looked it up earlier; I know where we’re going.” 

“And even if you didn’t, you wouldn’t stop to ask for directions?” Lex snickered; he liked to make fun of the stereotypes associated with their respective genders. 

“Why would I, when I have an Omega that loves to show off his ability to use technology in the car?” Griff teased back. 

“I suppose you have a point.” Lex leaned back in his seat and peered out the windshield, frowning as Griff pulled out onto the interstate. “But I don’t know where we’re going,” he said again, clearly fishing for information as they started passing Bridgeport exits. 

“Does it really bother you that much?” Griff asked. 

Lex hesitated before he answered. “A little,” he admitted. “Not enough to really, y’know--”

“Julio’s Cafe,” Griff supplied. “In Clarksburg.” 

“Julio’s?” Lex whistled. “Niiiiiice.” It was one of the only truly decent restaurants around, and served Italian food. 

“I thought you’d like it,” Griff replied. Lex was always complaining about the sub-par food in West Virginia. Griff imagined that, compared to the Capitol, it likely left a lot to be desired. Hopefully Julio’s would live up to the hype surrounding it. 

“It’s...I’m sure I will. Thank you,” Lex told him, and Griff couldn’t help but puff up slightly in pride. 

.oOOo.

The date had gone very well; Julio’s had been worth every penny. They’d shared a bottle of wine--Lex had insisted on choosing it--and laughed and chatted. Griff had driven them back to Bridgeport, where they’d found a small coffee shop that was still open and patronized it. 

They were now walking, hand in hand, along the river. It was early for them, given their night-owl tendencies. Although Lex was always technically on call, he tended to get a suspiciously small number of calls when he was off-duty. Griff thought he probably arranged things that way, and wondered if any of the technical problems the company he worked for actually existed, or if Lex made them up just to have something to do. 

“Tell me one thing,” Griff said, as they walked. “What’s your real name?”

“What’s yours?” Lex retorted. 

“Griff Krenshaw.”

Lex blinked in surprise. “That wasn’t fake?”

Griff shook his head. “Wish it was. But you can look up what happened to my family, if you want. They’re Krenshaws too.” 

Lex considered that for a few moments. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I’m not gonna tell you what it was--I had it legally changed to Lex--but, I’ll tell you where Lex comes from.” 

“Lex Luthor?” Griff guessed. “Superman’s nemesis?”

Lex snorted. “Not that cool. Uh. It comes from the word ‘lexicon.’ It was an old screen name of mine I liked.” He shuddered. “Way better than what my parents named me, believe me.” 

“I do. They named me Griff, after all.” Griff pulled Lex’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Thank you for telling me.” 

Lex eyed him. “So...we haven’t talked about the entire mating thing. But I _think_ you’ve had fun tonight?”

“I have,” Griff agreed easily, the wine loosening his tongue a bit. “And this way, we’d never have to tell anyone else our secrets.” He turned to Lex. “But you’re so damned _smart,_ Lex. What on earth do you see in me?”

Lex raised his eyebrows. “Don’t think much of yourself, do you?” he asked. “Well, let’s see. You’re not bad-looking, if I do say so myself. You’re pretty good in the sack. You _like_ the fact that I’m smart, for God’s sake. Do you have any idea how rare it is for an Alpha to like a _smart_ Omega?” He took a deep breath. “You smell like the best coffee. And your eyes--” He stopped himself, and swallowed. “I think I could spend a very long time looking into them.” 

Griff couldn’t help but blush. “Thank you.” 

Lex rolled his eyes. “Come here, Alpha.” They didn’t differ much in height, but Lex still managed to pull Griff down for a sweet kiss that quickly turned dirtier. Lex eventually broke it, and leaned his forehead against Griff’s. “Take me home?” If there was any doubt as to what he meant by that, it was removed by the placement of his hand. 

“Yes,” Griff agreed breathily. He pulled Lex back toward where he’d parked the car by his hand. 

“Mm. I like it when you take charge, Alpha,” Lex said as he hurried along by his side. 

“Oh really?” Griff shot a wicked look back at him. “I can do that.” And that night? That night he managed slow and sweet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end! Will it be happily ever after, or something different?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta said the ending was bittersweet. Not exactly what I was going for, but it's what happened. Also, a big thank-you to my Beta, Mir!

They continued to date for a few more months, with Griff constantly counseling patience and Lex practically chomping _through_ the bit. They did, at least, sleep in the same bed now, which mollified Lex slightly. 

Still, he made up his mind one night to push the envelope, so he marched out to where Griff was watching TV and dropped onto his lap. 

Griff let out an oomph of surprise, and then chuckled fondly. “Hello there.” 

Lex grabbed the remote out of his hand and used it to flick the TV off. “I’m going off of my suppressants,” he announced. “And when my next heat comes, you’re going to mate me.” 

Griff blinked in surprise, and then smirked. “Is that right, Omega?” 

“Yup.” Lex nodded. “No more dicking around.” 

“I thought you liked dicking around,” Griff’s smirk widened. 

“You know what I mean, Alpha.” 

“I do. You’re sure?” Griff turned serious. 

“Completely,” Lex replied. “You have any doubts?”

Griff shook his head. “No. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into.” 

“Your pants. I’m getting into your pants. Right now.” Lex, whose fingers were quite clever, popped the button on Griff’s khakis as he spoke and started inching the zipper down. 

“Well, then, who am I to complain?” Griff shook his head in false surrender before leaning in to give the Omega a thorough kiss. “You’re going to be the death of me, Lex,” he said as he pulled away. 

“The little death, definitely,” Lex agreed, slipping off of Griff’s lap and onto his knees on the floor between his Alpha’s thighs. 

“So mouthy.”

“I’ll show you mouthy.” 

.oOOo.

It took a few months for the effects of the suppressants to wear off. Thankfully, the time passed quickly; both Lex and Griff had become invaluable in their respective jobs. Griff had been promoted to the head of security, while Lex...well, Lex did whatever Lex wanted to do when he wanted to do it, as usual. 

When the suppressants wore off, Griff didn’t give Lex the option of running. Lex woke up in heat to find Griff’s arms tight around him; the Alpha was scenting his neck. “‘Bout time,” Griff growled in his ear, as he stripped off their boxers. 

“What do you mean, Alpha?” Lex asked in his most sickly-sweet voice. Griff just growled, and rolled him onto his stomach. Laughing, and feeling slick begin to slide down his legs, Lex climbed to his hands and knees and presented. His heat had stopped most of the processes in his brain, but he had just enough consciousness left to recall that he was going to be mated soon, and he couldn’t wait.

Griff smacked his ass in retaliation, and Lex yelped. 

“Behave, Omega,” Griff told him before he slid home. 

Lex let out a porno-worthy moan. Even after their months together, he still loved _everything_ about Griff, especially the swift pace the other man was setting. He knew he’d be sore in the morning, but he didn’t care. “Harder, Alpha!” he cried. 

“Going...to be...the death...of me,” Griff grunted out above him. 

Lex pushed himself backwards with each thrust. “You like it!” 

Griff must’ve leaned down, because his next words were growled in the Omega’s ear. “No. I _love_ it.” The gravelly quality of his voice almost made Lex come then and there, but he held back; he planned to orgasm when Griff finally bit him and not before. 

It felt amazing; with all the lubrication from his heat, the slide was easy despite Griff’s size. Lex let himself make whatever noises his body wanted, revelling in the moment. He’d gone on birth control, so Griff wasn’t wearing a condom and it felt even better than it had during his first heat now that they were skin to skin. 

Aside from the odd grunt, Griff was mostly silent while they fucked, but Lex knew he was into it too, as he could feel the Alpha’s knot slowly growing in size. “Griff, Griff, Griff,” the Omega started chanting, earning a pleased snort from above. 

Soon, Lex couldn’t handle it any more. “Mate me, Alpha, please, mate me!” He felt rather than saw Griff’s hand reach around them, and moaned loudly when Griff started stroking him. He soon felt as if he couldn’t take another moment. “Now, please!” he begged. 

Griff obligingly bit down on his scent gland, and Lex came so hard he half-blacked out. Later, he had no memory of Griff rolling them away from the wet spot, gently licking his new mating bite, or murmuring sweet nothings in his ear.

When Lex finally came back to himself, he let out a pleased groan. His heat was completely sated for the moment. As he opened his eyes back up, he realized that he could feel Griff--not just physically, but mentally too. Huh. He’d always wondered what the mating bond would feel like--it was one of those things people always had trouble describing. Right now, it was pulsing with the feeling of home, of mate, of relaxation, of happy, and he knew he could get used to it. 

“There you are,” Griff said, pushing his sweat-soaked hair back from his face and kissing the sideburn closest to him. “You all right?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Lex snuggled back into his Alpha. “Ver’ goo’.” 

“Good.” Griff kissed his mating bite. Griff wanted a matching bite, but Lex was too tired to think about that process at the moment. “Get some sleep; I’ll get you something to drink when my knot goes down.” 

“Uh-huh.” Apparently Lex was still unable to form actual words, even when Griff pulled the covers over them. He realized he didn’t mind that at all. 

.oOOo.

A couple of weeks later, Lex stopped to get the mail when he got home from work. To his initial surprise and then increasing horror, there was an envelope addressed to ‘Lex.’ No last name, no forwarding address--but even worse, _no stamp._

Lex hurried into his apartment, thanking whatever was holy for the fact that Griff would still be at work for another couple of hours. He closed and locked the door, then ripped open the envelope. 

Inside was a plain white greeting card--one of those that you were meant to draw on yourself. Nothing on the back or the front. Nearly shaking with adrenaline, he opened the card. It was blank inside too, aside from one word: ‘Congratulations.’ He nearly had a heart attack; he knew it was from the CIA. 

Moments later, he recognized Jackson’s handwriting, and realized it wasn’t the threat he had initially taken it for. Yes, the CIA knew where he lived and who he was (and that he was mated!). But, if they wanted him dead, they wouldn’t have bothered to send a card; they would have just killed him. 

That meant several things. First, Jackson probably really did mean the congratulations part of it; the Beta had always subtly pushed Lex to find a mate and was likely just happy that Lex was happy. Second, it did undoubtedly represent a warning--don’t give us a reason to have to take you out. Lex was fine with that; he wasn’t about to tell anyone, even Griff, about what he’d done for the CIA. He was more loyal to the US than that. Finally, it was a point of contact. Lex knew enough to know he’d never fully be quit of the CIA, and if they needed him, they wouldn’t hesitate to call on him. 

Lex took a deep breath and let the tension flow out of him. He’d already had a pretty good idea that that chapter of his life wasn’t finished--not completely. It was part of why he hadn’t really bothered changing his name, although he supposed he was technically Lex Krenshaw now. He still hadn’t forgiven them all for what they’d let him believe, but he knew, rationally, why they’d done it. And if the government needed him again, well, he’d step up, just like he had years ago. He’d be a--what was the word?--a consulter. Consulting agent? Whatever. He’d help, as long as they left him his life and his space. 

In the meantime, Lex knew he could feel fairly secure in the fact that if the CIA knew about him and Griff, the FBI had probably been left out despite the new rules about agencies sharing information. In other words, this greeting card was a good sign. 

Still, he reluctantly tore it up and flushed it down the toilet...there was no sense telling Griff about any of this, because it would just piss the Alpha off and he might do something he’d end up regretting. As he watched the pieces swirl down into the septic system, Lex sent up a silent prayer that Terri, Stiles, and Joshua were all okay, wherever they were now.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Tumblr--@Masterpieceofturkeycleverness!


End file.
